The Atlanta Falcons need a pass rush more than ever

If Drew Brees was not enough of a reason for the Atlanta Falcons to work on their pass rush, the recent news of Tom Brady signing to the division rival Bucs means the Falcons need to hit the ground running and get some edge rushers as soon as possible.

Not only will the Atlanta Falcons defense have to deal with two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but they also have to deal with Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater doesn’t have the accolades of Brees and Brady, but he is an above-average quarterback who led a Minnesota Vikings team to the playoffs before a horrific injury almost ended his career.

Bridgewater spent last season backing up Brees and when Brees got injured, the Saints were undefeated and Bridgewater held his own.

The Atlanta Falcons have the capability to score with anyone as long as the offensive line is playing like a well-oiled machine protecting the quarterback and opening up holes in the run game. If that’s not the case, not only will Matt Ryan and crew be in for a long game and it will be up to the defense to keep the Falcons in the game, which they might not be ready for at this point in time.

People cannot downplay the signing by the Bucs. They have talent on offense with players like Mike Evans, OJ Howard, and Chris Godwin. Brady also gets to play under Bruce Arians, a coach that had Jameis Winston looking elite at times.

If the Falcons whiff on fixing the pass rush during the off-season, not only will this expose a relatively young secondary to being pick apart by two of the greats but jobs will be lost and fans will be upset. If the Falcons thought last season was horrible, this season could leave a horrible taste in everyone’s mouth.